What are the most popular substrates to decorate via rotary engraving?

The range of materials for rotary engraving is vast; rotary engravers can process many materials that don’t process well or are unsafe in a laser. 

The most popular substrates for rotary engraving are metallic gift items, jewelry, laminated plastics, acrylic, glass, brass, stainless-steel, colored steel, and aluminum.

Many customers and some shop owners prefer the traditional engraved appearance – this is especially true on jewelry, recognition platters, retirement trays, and traditional metallic gift items. There is a trend in which shops are charging a premium for rotary engraving; customers see it as more artistic and elegant when the embellishment is permanently cut into the metal. 

The rotary engraver can also create artistic and dramatic effects by engraving areas with different depths, line widths and by creating dramatic effects with 2-D and 2.5-D tool paths. These tool paths can make a simple design really pop.

   —Gravotech